Apparatus for the treatment of gases.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

E TREATMENT OP GASES.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l l s\ ws S. Z. DE PERRANTI. APPARATUS POR TH APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10,1907.

310.898,34. PATENTBD SEPT. s, 1908.

S. vZ. DE FERRANTI. APPARATUS FOB. THE TREATMENT OF GASES.

' APPLIGATION FILED .TUNE l0, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908. S. Z. DE EEERANTI.

APPARATUS EOE. THE TREATMENT OP /GASES A APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 10, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 5. :9 9 E Pw @ff/M1 SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FER-RANTI. OF GRINDLEFORD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908;

Application filed June 10, 1907. Serial No. 378,290.

To all whom it lmay concern:

Be it known that I., SEBASTIAN ZrANi DE FERRANTI, engineer and electrician, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and

residing at Grindleford, in the county of Derby, England, have invented certain new and useful A parat-us for the Treatment of Gases, of'wlnch the following is aspecification.

This invention relates generally to means for the conducting of gaseous endothermic reactions, where, in order to effect the reaction, gases have to be heated to a high temperature and suddenly cooled.

The invention relates more particularly to the fixation of free nitrogen, whether contained in the air, or in waste furnace gases or the like. For example, it has been known for man years past that such nitrogen can be combined with the oxygen of the air in the electric arc, the resulting oxids of nitrogen forming nitrates or nitrites, depending upon the proportions of the various oxids` of nitrogen whichare produced. It has been shown also that in the production ofvsuch compounds in the electric arc, it is ofextreme importance that the gases to be combined shall be raised to the high temperatureA for combustion and then rapidly cooled. On the rapidity of the cooling and withdrawal of, the products of combustion from the arc, depends the yield obtained.

My invention consists in the improved apparatus to be hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form partof the specification, Figure 1 shows a section through one formof arc rotary arc; 3 shows another form ofV chamber in which avcontinuous annular rotary arc 1s employed. Fig. 2 shows a modification of the above having a discontmuous arc chamber i0'. 3a and 3b, showin suitable arrangements of the oarbons by way of example. Fig. 4 shows another vmodification of are chamber; Fig. 5 beinga section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4., while, Fig. 6 shows a general arrangement of plant in which the elements of my inventionare utilized to the best advantage. y

I wish it to be understood that the. drawings throughout are of a diagrammatic nature and should not be taken as working drawings.

"Where desirable, the same reference symbols are used inthe different Jiigures to denote corresponding parts.

'appropriate manner.

In carrying my invention into effect ac cording to one form as shown in Fig. l, I provide circular electrodes, c and l), arranged ooncentrically one within the other, so as to leave an annular space across which the arc is struck. In order to rotate this arc, I arrange a suitable coil, c, preferably surrounding the inner electrode, a., so as to leave an uninterrupted passage for the air entering under pressure through the inlet, d, to pass to the arc. In order to provide for the cooling of the electrodes, I preferably make them oflliollow forni shown and provide suitable means for circulating water or other cooling fluid through them. In the case of the inner electrode, a, the water may be introduced by the central pipe, e, and returned through the annular space, f, between this pipe, e, and the body of the electrode through which it passes. The arc chamber proper, 7L, is made of any suitable refractory material, the gases after the combination in the rotary arc, passing through this chamber to be cooled in any In the figure, a diverging nozzle, i, is shown for this purpose. The cooling of such gases however heated -by expansion in a nozzle, forms an important part of my invention and will be referred to more in detail hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a generally similar arrangement of electrodes and so forth is shown to that above described, but in the present case the arc is discontinuous, that to say, 1t extends over only a small portion` of the annular air gap between tl 1e electrodes, though rotated as before by the coil, c. With this arrangement only a small amount of gas' .is raised to a high temperature 1n the arc, the

vided to put the aic and field in phase, or again, the arc may be rotated first in one direction and then in the other by using a conl stant field oo-acting with an alternating arc.

los

Referring now to Fig. 3, a modified form 'of Y arc chamber is shown, in which carbons, m,

of ordinary form are provided as shown.

Figs. 3a and 3b show arrangements of the carbone, as seen in plan, suitazble respectively for use with single phase and three phase current. Air enters under pressure through the pipe, d, as before, the nitrogen combined in the arc passing out by way or' the divergent nozzle, i, where it is rapidly cooled.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a inodiiication in which the electrodes, p, are iorined and act in a known manner somewhat similar to a inagnetic blowout the are striking across the narrow air gap at the lower part of the electrodes and by help of the current of air entering from below, spreading to the upper part.

Referring now more particularly to the cooling ot the gases however' heated by eX- pansion in an Vap ropriate nozzle, in order to get the best resu ts, the air to be dealt with should be raised to a considerable pressure and then expanded into a good vacuum. It is also necessary that the nozzle should be correctly designed as regards its overall length and the ratio between the diameters of throat and discharge in accordance with the usual principles, so as t'o deal efficiently with the temperature and pressure drops concerned. When such precautions are taken, I have discovered and proved experimentally that complete cooling inay be effected. I would also emphasize in particular, the fact that in order to secure the best results the pressure range should be as great as possible,

preei ably extending down to a considerable vacuum.

4In order to prevent the kinetic energy of the moving gases issuing from the expansion nozzle, reappearing in the forni of heat, I preferably extract the velocity in a suitable rotating wheel system, either by single or multiple abstraction otn same, orrise of teniperature due to impact nia'y be prevented by mixing the high velocity out-flow with cooll ing uid sprays or the like.

l dll now describe with reference to Fig. 6 a complete forni of plant in which the various elements of my invention are combined. The air to be dealt with passes into a multi-stage turbocompressor, n, provided with intermediate coolers, o, and after compression enters by way of the pipe, d, into the are chamber which 'may be of any of the forms described, that illustrated in Fig. 3 being shown by Way of example. The gases formed and heated in the-arc are then cooled by expansion in the nozzie, t, the velocity generated thereby being abstracted by a wheel system, single or multiple as required, indicated conventionally at r. The exhaust gases then pass preferably into a vacuum receiver, s, which is connected in turn to the multi-stage vacuum pump or compressor t, which is also rovided with intermediate coolers, u. Fina ly a inotor, '0, is provided to` supply a balance of power to the system. It is generally convenient to mount the compressor, n, wheel system, r, vacuum pump, t, and motor, v, on a coninion shaft as shown. It is important for combustion to be complete before eXpansion in the nozzle begins, so that the maximum cooling effect may be obtained.

Although l have above referredrto the conibustion or combination 4of oxyfren or nitrogen, would have it understoo that iiiy invention is applicable to the carrying on of any other similar endotherniic reaction.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. In apparatus for carrying out gaseous endotliermic reactions the combination of means for heating the gases to the reaction temperature together with nozzle means for subsequently cooling said gases.

12. In apparatus for carrying ont gaseous endothernuc reactions, theconibination of a shifting electric are for heating the gases to the reaction temperature together with nozzle means for subsequently cooling said gases.

In apparatus for carrying'out gaseous endotherinic reactions the combination of means for heating the gases to the reaction temperature, nozzle means for cooling said gases together with means for utilizing the velocity of said gases after issuing from said nozzle means.

4. In apparatus for carrying. out gaseous endotherniic reactions the combination ofv means for heating the gases to the reaction temperature, nozzle means for cooling said gases together with a turbine for absorbing the velocityoic said gases after issuing from said nozzle means.

5. In apparatus for carrying out gaseous endotheriinc reactions the combination of' means for heating the gases to the reaction temperature, nozzle means for cooling said gases to a. certain degree, together with means for further cooling said-gases on issu inof from said Vnozzle inea-ns.

bIn testimony whereof, I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SEBSTN ZIANI DE FERRANTI.

Witnesses z HERMANN HUBER, JOSEPH SIMON. 

